Adderall-induced psychosis in an adolescent.

Of all possible childhood disorders, attentiondeficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) accounts for more than any mental health, special education, and behavioral referrals in pediatric medicine. Behavioral modification techniques and stimulant medications are the mainstay of current ADHD therapy. Adderall, which is a mixture of 75% of the d-isomer of amphetamine and 25% of the lisomer, is one of the stimulants approved by the Food and Drug Administration for such therapy. The efficacy of stimulant medication is well documented throughout medical literature. The induction of schizophrenic-like states in amphetamine abusers is equally well documented, though the onset of such states in children on prescribed doses of stimulant medication is observed far less often. We performed a search of MEDLINE and pre-MEDLINE (1966–2002; English language) using keywords including “Adderall,” “amphetamine,” “dextroamphetamine,”and “psychosis.” Abstracts and subsequent relevant articles were reviewed by one author (JG). To date, there have been no published reports of psychotic reactions to amphetamine (Adderall) in an adolescent patient.